In Sickness And In Health
by shizinga
Summary: Z is really sick. Sky takes care of her. And as she becomes serious, a secret comes out which makes Sky acknowledge his hidden feelings for her.One shot fic. Not related to any other story of mine. Just felt like it. SkyZ.


In Sickness & In Health

Disclaimer: I do not own anything mentioned here.

"You can't defeat me!"

"Oh yes I can and I will. Hiyaaaaah!"

"Haaaa! You missed me!"

"..."

"..."

"What a moron." commented Syd passively as she sat between Sky and Bridge on the couch watching an old movie in the common room.

*crunch* *crunch* *crunch*

"Could you stop munching Bridge? scoffed Syd as she hit Bridge's head from back.

"Sorry." sighed Bridge.

"Man movie night sucks without Z." continues Bridge.

Syd then hits Bridge again. Hard.

"It's because of you she's down with the flu!" she glared at him. "C'mon Z lets play in the rain!" mimics Syd in Bridge's voice.

"I'll go check on her." sighs Syd after 5 minutes as she gets up.

"But wasn't Z asleep? Like half an hour ago?" reasoned Bridge causing Syd to sigh again.

Sky sat silently looking at the TV screen but actually his mind was occupied with Z, he really missed her even though he would not admit it. So Sky gets up to check on Z without his nosy friends knowing where he was going "Well this movie night's a fail. So I'll take your leave. Night." and walks away. Syd and Bridge roll their eyes not even one of them trying to make their adamant squad leader stay.

Sky walks up to Z's room and knocks but no reply could be heard. He then puts his morpher on the morpher scanner and gets access and the doors slid open. He walks inside the dimly lighted room and goes to her bed and sees a red nosed Z cuddled up under her covers sleeping peacefully. Sky smiles as he sits down gently beside her on the bed and places the back of his hand on her forehead and could feel her high temperature which caused him to frown. He then strokes her long brown hair, still a little damp, from a shower she took earlier, and sighs. He grudgingly pats her cheek, slowly waking her up.

"Z... get up... time for temperature."

Z slowly turns, her body aching badly, and opens her eyes. God she looked so weak he thought. He strokes her cheek as he shakes a thermometer with the other hand and whispers "Open your mouth."

Z slighty opens her mouth and he places the thermometer in, and she closes her eyes along with her mouth, now turning towards Sky and cuddling as she fell asleep weakly. Sky smiles adoringly seeing her slightly pouted sleeping face as she held the thermometer with her mouth, and strokes her hair involuntarily.

He wasn't used to seeing Z weak and tired. She was always strong and vibrant. Not hearing her insults really didn't make his day go easier, and he really missed her voice, he missed the sight of her, the way she would dance and simply pull Syd, himself or Bridge into dancing with her. The way she would smirk whenever he would insult her and insult him back with a twinkle in her beautiful chocolate eyes. The way they fought. The way she would duplicate and scare the crap out of Bridge. How she would roll her eyes when Syd talked nonstop about her nails. Sigh. Sky glanced at his watch, and slowly pulled the thermometer out of her mouth, causing her to swallow, and sees the reading. 103°.

He sighs and keeps the thermometer away and sees Z cuddling near his thigh. Sky leaned and kissed her burning forehead and was about to get up when a weak grip on his arm made him stop. He saw Z holding his palm with both her hands and sleeping. Sky smiled and intertwined his fingers with hers and pulled the covers up. Just then the doors slid open to reveal Syd come in with peanuts. Sky looked back at her and put a finger on his lips, to which she nodded. She sat on a tool near Z's bed and

Sky whispered "Came to check on her?"

Syd nodded "I brought peanuts. It helps me heal faster."

Sky smiled shaking his head as she put the soft toy next to Z, and she saw Sky and Z's hand's entwined and smiled at Sky.

Sky glared at her "It's not what you think."

Syd rolled her eyes "Well... I didn't think that you are attracted to Z. Or that she finds comfort in you. It's all in your head Sky." she smiled innocently.

Sky hit her head "Shut up. It's nothing like that."

Syd nodded comically "Ofcourse Ofcourse!" she then gets up "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." and rushes out chuckling before Sky could throw anything at her.

An hour later. Z woke up slowly and saw Sky sitting bent on her bed, his one hand holding hers and the other cupping his sleeping face as his elbow rested on his leg. Z sighed seeing him sleep so uncomfortably. She slowly woke him up, and made him sleep beside her, which he did without any resistance because he was sleepy, and Z scooted a bit towards the other side, giving him space.

Sky's eyes opened as per habit at around 5:30 in the morning and found himself spooning a very hot body (figuratively and literally) and came to his senses and saw he was cuddling Z. His heartbeat increased as he slowly raised his head and saw Z sleeping peacefully and smiled on seeing her sleeping in his hold and leaned down to kiss her cheek while still holding her tight, but as his lips touched her soft skin, he was taken aback by how hot it was. He got up and removed his morpher "Kat. Z needs to be admitted."

As Z was being checked up on, Sky, Bridge, Syd and Sophie were out trying to contain the latest criminal, AStar. Sky who seemed a bit off in the whole fight was sent flying back as Bridge rushed up to him while the yellow and pink rangers dealt with the criminal.

"Get a grip man!" said Bridge as he helped Sky up.

Sky nodded "Yeah c'mon!"

Once AStar was contained, and they handed the containment card over to Cruger, they all rushed towards the infirmary to check on Z.

Kat looked worried and as they reached, Kat said "What we think is flu, is actually an alien contaminant which had been brought to Earth by the Troobian forces. Z is infected badly."

Sky shook his head in disbelief "What could have caused it?"

Kat stated "I think it was the hit that Z got while fighting that criminal Quezec a week back which made her demorph. We have the footage. Look."

They all saw the rangers fighting the monster, the video mostly focused on Z, so they now saw something that no one had noticed that day. They saw Quezec fire a shot towards the red ranger who was turned the opposite side busy fighting Krybots and saw the green ranger run in between and take the hit and fall back far away and demorph into an unconscious Z who was groaning in pain as the yellow ranger rushed to her."

Everyone looked shocked and Sky simply walked out. As Sky reached his room, he opened his jacket and wore his boxing gloves and started letting out his frustration on a punching bag. Z had taken a hit for him. And she was infected and sick. She was suffering what was meant for him. After mindlessly punching for what seemed like ages, he shouted "Why Z! Why? That was meant for me!"

He kept punching until his arms were sore and then simply sat on his bed feeling dejected when Bridge came in and sighed seeing his bestfriend this way and sat beside him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder "Sky..."

Sky shook his head "She's stupid. I thought she was smart and intelligent. But she's stupid Bridge! Utterly Stupid!" he screamed in the end.

Bridge sighed but a small smile came on his face "Sky... we all know Z's anything but stupid."

Sky glared at him "Oh yeah? Then why would she jump in between the blast?"

Bridge rolled his eyes, he knew Sky knew the reason but was still asking anyways, and said "To save you. She loves you Sky, for a long time now. I've read her aura."

Sky stood there staring at Bridge dumbfounded. He then simply rushed out of his room back towards the infirmary.

Bridge smiled and muttered "I've read your aura too Sky..."

Sky barged into Z's room in the infirmary and saw her skin had started turning pink and when he touched her hand she was still hot. He sat on a stool beside her bed holding her hand and stroked her cheek, she looked weaker than ever. Sky kissed her hand as his eyes started to water.

"I love you Z." whispered Sky, as he held her hand close to his chest. Just then someone cleared their throat and Sky suddenly got up to see it was commander Cruger. Sky immediately saluted and Cruger gave a nod "At ease cadet. Cadet Delgado will make it. Kat has come up with an antidote for her condition. It's time for the first dose. You may be dismissed."

Sky nodded, saluted and left.

A week after regular doses of the antidote Z started getting better but was still on bedrest. But she was not as happy as before because she hadn't seen Sky for a week.

'That self righteous moron didn't even care to see whether I'm alive or dead. And I had to fall in love with him. Great going Z.' thought Z as she sat grumpily on the hospital bed.

Sydney came in happily "Hey Z!"

Z sighed and forced a smile "Hey Syd."

Syd then smirks "So I see you've made a friend!" as she eyes on Peanuts held tightly in Z's arms.

Z then throws the soft toy at Syd "Nooo!"

Syd chuckles as she catches Peanuts and asks "So why the sour mood?" even though she knew the answer.

Z sighs "It's nothing... I just want to be out of this bed."

"If that's what you want." says Kat as she comes in with Z's latest reports and a sweet smile.

"Then you are discharged because you are completely fine."

Z's eyes widen as Syd exclaims "Yesss!"

'Now I can give Sky a piece of my mind.' Z thought as she jumped out of the bed to get dressed.

Sky was giving fencing training to some C-squad cadets, and his eyes widened when he saw Z walk towards him in her uniform, her long hair open, her hands crossed across her chest, and a frown stuck on her face. She came up to him and he looked at her putting his sword away "Do you need anything?"

Z nods "Yes. I need to speak with you. Now."

'The arrogant donkey didn't even ask how I was!'

Sky turned towards the cadets and replies "I'm training. Maybe later."

Z snatches his sword, causing the C-squad cadets to gasp, and turns towards them and says "Take a break guys."

Sky glares at them "Stay where you are cadets."

The cadets frown and stand in their position.

Z takes a step closer to the cadets "As per section C-30 dash D of the SPD rulebook, breaks are mandatory in between training sessions. Did Cadet Tate give you any break till now? It's almost an hour."

The cadets shook their heads.

Z smirked "Thought so. Cadets be back in 15."

Just as the cadets walked away happily, Z turned glaring at Sky and took his hand and pulled him into the SPD park and stood under a tree and said "What the hell Sky? Or should I say cadet Tate? Because apparently I don't even think your my friend anymore, I was sick for a week Sky and you didn't meet me in the infirmary even once. ONCE!"

Sky suppressed a smile and crossed his hands and stated "I'm sorry I didn't know that I was your friend. Or you cared about me."

Z looked at him confused "What are you talking about? You're my close friend Sky. And I care about you... a lot!"

'More than a lot actually.'

Sky smirked and scoffed sarcastically "Oh really?"

Z crossed her arms defensively "Well yeah!"

Sky came closer to her "Then why didn't you tell me that you loved me?"

Z's eyes widened as she stared back at him looking shocked, she opened her mouth, but nothing came out, so she simply looked down. Sky studied her face as she tried to hide her blush by looking at her boots.

Sky lifted her chin up with his finger and smirked "I didn't know Z Delgado was a wuss."

Z's face that was a flattering shade of pink became red as she glared at him "I'm not a wuss!"

Sky chuckled "Oh but you are! Why else wouldn't you tell me how you felt?"

He enjoyed making her crazy.

Z sighed as she said softly "Because... because... I didn't know whether you'd love me back. I mean you don't even like me that way."

Sky's playful smirk vanished and his eyebrows furrowed as he held her shoulders "Says who?"

Z looked up "I mean c'mon you are amazing." she immediately looked down as she knew she was becoming pink.

Sky smiled as he pulled her into a tight hug "Z... I love you. I love everything about you. In my eyes you're amazing."

Z smiled and hugged him back as he kissed her head and then her forehead. Sky made her sit on the bench under the tree, and cupped her face, while smirking "I love that you don't know how special you are, it makes my flirting easier."

Z chuckled, as her cheeks became pink on seeing a different side of Sky. Sky kissed her nose and then looked straight into her eyes. Z became hypnotized in his intense gaze and didn't notice him close the space between them, when she felt his lips on hers she got out of her daze, and closed her eyes as she melted into his kiss. Sky's hands encircled her waist as he pulled her closer to him and kissed her with all the love he felt for her. Z kissed him back as her hands moved from his chest and locked behind his neck pulling him into her. After several moments they broke out looking flushed still holding eachother. Sky then kissed her cheek and then her neck as she said "I love you Sky."

Sky smiled "I love you Z." and claimed her lips once again in an intense kiss.

"Sir... uh... the 15 minutes break is... over." said a red faced C-squad cadet standing a bit away from the couple.

Sky and Z immediately broke out and Sky glared at the cadet "Get going. I'll be there."

An embarrassed Z then buried her face in the crook of Sky's neck causing Sky to chuckle, as they both walked together hand in hand towards the training ground as a new couple.

XxX


End file.
